Malcolm had built a life in Thailand. He had a house, a car, a partner, and a job in computer engineering. But it all fell apart during the pandemic, and Malcolm was forced to start rough sleeping on our city’s streets for two months. Our St. Giles emergency housing has given him the stability and support to get back on track.
“I was in Thailand for seven years. It was my home, but I went from a full life to having nothing very quickly.”
During the pandemic, Malcolm’s life unravelled. He was made redundant in 2021, couldn’t find a new job, ran out of money, and had his visa expire. He was arrested and spent over a month in a Thai prison before being deported.
Things didn’t get better when he touched down in London. The UK authorities paid for Malcolm’s flight home and confiscated his passport until he repaid them.
Left with no choice
He was alone—without money, ID, or options. Despite being referred to outreach teams, Malcolm had no choice but to sleep on the cold, hard streets.
“I spent over a month on the streets and lived on a bench by Bedford Square. It was a shock.
“I did what I could to keep going. I used public toilets to wash and shave and ate out of bins to survive. It is surprising what people throw away. Sometimes, I would find a whole Burger King. Once, I got lucky with a £28 sandwich from Harrods.”
After a couple of weeks, Malcolm got his Universal Credit advance payment. He used it to live on, but he was still stuck on the streets, waiting for support to become available.
“I had to wait to be officially verified as homeless, but there were more delays when I missed the outreach team. It felt like a long wait. I knew I had to get off the streets. They’re dangerous.
“I never felt safe, especially at night. At most, I would sleep for two or three hours a night. I saw a couple of people being mugged and getting their phones snatched, so I’d go to sleep hugging my things.”
From streets to stability
Eventually, Malcolm was found a room in our St. Giles service. It’s emergency housing for people who have been rough sleeping in Central London.
Having a bed after being on the streets was everything. The first three days, I did nothing but sleep.
Malcolm found the stability he needed at St. Giles to rebuild his life.
“It’s been perfect here—they’ve looked after me so well. I’m already working on the next path in my journey, finding employment again.
“I’ve got a job coach at the Job Centre; my CV is on LinkedIn, and I spend my days in the library applying for jobs. It’s up to me to get going again.
“I’m glad I’ve found that next step—that launchpad to push myself forward.”
Malcolm has now moved to more permanent housing. He was over the moon and thankful for the support he received at Single Homeless Project.
Homelessness is an experience, not a forever—and with the right support, it can be ended.
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